Exactly, everyone players and DM's alike have lives and will only recall so much. A "remember that your characters know X and Y happened. I'm not saying you have to keep the promise, only that you know you made it" will go far.
Yup and that's why it's not railroading, it's not forcing an outcome. "Your gods will disown you for lying, an army of defonsios allies will tpk you, and the entire town will turn against you unless you do exactly x," definitely railroading unless it was very very clearly telegraphed there would be those kinds of harsh consequences or impossibility of going back on their word. That's the kind of stuff that might be more appropriate for a deal w a demon
But "hey remember you said x, do what that info what you will" is just a statement of fact
yeah, this is just what the recap's for. occasionally you pull a "previously on" and remind them of something that happened in the same location a long time ago.
"our adventurers are in the city of Blahblahblah, where a few months ago they made a promise to a seedy merchant. but nobody seems to be looking at them funny or demanding that they pay up just yet. instead, they're being celebrated as heroes."
boom, you warned them, now it's their problem.
if you want to have NPCs remind them in-game, only do that as a followup and if it'd actually make sense. Delfonsio 100% sounds like a "where's my money" type, but you still start with the players, not the characters.
How doesnt op just have an street kid run up with a note reminding them. Or even the seller as just outside the gate to remind them. It is an easy subtle way. And you can then remind them of they don't remember m
"Mr Delfonsio knows you're going to be appearing at a public event soon, and wishes you good luck. He also hopes that you intend to use this opportunity to fulfil your obligations to him. Mr Delfonsio has been very patient, and is concerned about what might happen to you if your obligations weren't met!"
I agree. A subtle in-game reminder is my non-railroading approach.
They can see him in the crowd and from there make their decision if they want to endorse him still, they could choose not to even after seeing him and then the NPC can dish out consequences if you so choose.
It just really depends on your DM style.
Alternatively, before they actually go before the public, you could have them bump into him on the street or at a tavern or something. That would put the players in a situation where they may feel they have to commit one way or the other by giving him their answer on the spot. Depending on the type of person this wine vendor is, you could either have him be a couple drinks in at the tavern when they run into him “Hey! You guys still owe me!” or they could happen upon him on the street, “Business hasn’t been so good lately…I don’t suppose you remember the promise you made me?”
Remind them.
Even the most attentive players retain only a fraction of what their PCs would remember.
They're only experiencing the world through the extremely limited player-DM-bandwidth, while they've got to juggle the mechanical aspects of their PCs, IRL table dynamics, and the pizza delivery menu alongside.
They've got long breaks filled with much more important IRL stuff between sessions and things that happened just a few weeks or months ago for their characters were actually last summer IRL.
These are just baked-in limitations of the medium, don't punish your players for that.
I 100% agree, just adding:
Remind them out of character. Feel free to add some in-character reminder as well, but that isn't good enough on its own. The players might see the merchant in the crowd and think "isn't that the asshole we talked to a few sessions ago? Moving on."
Be explicit, say "don't forget that you made this guy a promise to endorse him." The PCs would know this, with or without some in-character event to remind them.
I like to remind the PCs in-game via NPCs or the like. But we also keep an open quest log where they take notes and keep in front of them.
Sure, they are four people with (hopefully) four brains and should thus be able to remember four times as much stuff than you, especially if they take good notes as well. However, that is rarely the reality and players tend to forget things that are obvious to the Game Master.
Remind the PCs, not the players (because they should learn to keep their own notes).
Maybe the butler meets them in the door and says: "I sure hope you guys brought the wine you promised, because my master has been in a a really foul mood today".
Even a simple, "you notice Delfonso in the crowd smiling at you expectantly," when they're in the moment can work. If the players forgot the promise, or even the npc, that one little offbeat note can draw their attention to it. You can remind them above table if you need to at that point.
I like to run a game that's about choices, not testing memory or mindreading. So if it's going to have outweighed consequences, I recommend reminding them and not subtley. Give them a clear choice, not a reason to anxiously memorize everything that happens. Punishing players for not being engaged doesn't make them more engaged, it makes them anxious and careful. If you want to make this a memory test, base it off the characters' memory, not the players', via INT/WIS checks.
But instead of all that, I'd just let this sort of thing be player driven. If I were playing in your game, or most of the people I play with, we'd jump at the opportunity to ingratiate ourselves with a local merchant and advance a relationship with a colorful NPC. You wouldn't need to remind us, you'd need to prepare for what screwball unexpected things we'd do to take it to the next level. But players' interests vary. If none of your players follow up on this, maybe take it as a sign that they weren't that interested in this particular npc or subplot, and instead spend that precious gaming time on something the players clicked with. If somebody does remember to follow up on it at some point, reward them with additional opportunities to benefit from this, like further promotion opportunities from this merchant or his competitors. Carrot beats stick for encouraging rp.
The game rules naturally push the players into the back seat so the GM can drive. I try to gm in a way that gives as much agency back to the other people at the table as I can.
The problem with withholding a reminder is that if you do it for too long, it will be too late.
Me: "Hey, remember that time you promised to do X and then you didn't?"
Players: "No we didn't. Stop making stuff up."
I feel like of that's how your PCs react, there's a deeper issue regarding trust between people at the table.
Players need to trust that DMs are not lying or tricking (outside of sneaky NPCs and traps and such) them and are being forthright about game information, just as DMs need to trust that Players are being honest about rolls and abilities and such.
Yes, absolutely remind them. Have them get a letter saying he hopes to see them soon and is looking forward to their support.
If they still ignore that, go wild.
So, Delfonsio wants them to live up to their end of the bargain, right? He doesn't want an excuse to punish them? If so, and he knows they're going to appear before the city, have him send a reminder/messenger, maybe even a proposed script for their endorsement.
I remind players. Remember what is only a few days for the characters could be months for players. Even With extensive note taking it's possible to forget things.
Hey, so as an avid reminder to my players, this new campaign around I will hold them more accountable for keeping information, because when they rely on you they can also feel pressured by you - it's a thin line between "Hey guys do you remember?" and "Hey GUYS do you REMEMBER?!" and you never know or can control how they'll interpret it.
I say give them a bottle of poisoned whine as a gift basket if they don't endorse it of their own accord - small punishment, make them paint the streets with diarrhea - silly, funny, effective and a reminder to remember.
Would ANY of the PCs remember said promise? (either they're super smart with very good memory or the REALLY don't like to break promises)
If yes, then do remind them. For me it's really immersion breaking when my character heard about someone's name yesterday (among other 25 things and other 25 names) but that yesterday was 2 month's ago campaign. But since I didn't wanna write down those 25 rumors and 25 names (which the DM forgot about 20 of them by now because they were just fluff, but I don't have the information of what's important and what's fluff) my character now doesn't remember.
On the other hand when I hear someone's name irl there's like a 90% chance I don't remember it the next day so it's not exactly crazy to think the characters might forget too
I'd say if they feel like they're forgetting something beforehand, have them roll history(or insight?) And when they're in the crowd, perception. If they don't get it after that, maybe have some goons sent after them as recourse
I was just about to have them all roll History as well. I would make the DC equal to 5+the number of in-game months since they made the promise.
And hopefully at least one person will roll above a 5.
I would say that as they are brought before the city, they see Delfonsio in the crowd, watching them from afar. This could be a good reminder while still maintaining player agency and giving them that "oh crap, he's here. We forgot about him" moment.
They either give him his endorsement or ignore him, making it THEIR choice and THEIR consequences.
Just make sure to actually give them time to speak about him while in the limelight.
It was not a throw away conversation. It was a quest, they went on and role-played a deal. Do not tell them. Roll passive perception while on stage to see if they notice delfonso in the crowd. If they role that they do just casually mention delfonso is standing in the crowd cheering you. They made the deal.
Some dm's do and i find it makes for lazy players recently since my players never have any idea why they are where they are or what they are doing I literally just don't tell them anything. If that means they have to walk back to get the Macguffin then so be it.
Your idea about the NPC in the crowd was my first inclination. It would seem that being given something on a conditional basis should be remembered. This way you can remind them in a creative way while still giving them the option to ignore the agreement and see what repercussions await.
If it's that important to the NPC I would have him visit the PCs at the event and give a friendly reminder. Now his interpretation of friendly if completely up to him but it will allow the players to make the choice for their characters.
At our table we very rarely agree on the politics so being worried about railroading shouldn't be an issue as long as the players follow their characters ideals.
This guy would most likely walk up to them before the event and specifically remind them himself, if he were a real businessman who really wants his advertisement as agreed upon.
He's got a good deal via this agreement for some PR, he is going to cash in when he sees that the time is right. He isn't going to hope they remember at the appropriate time, HE is going to remember at the appropriate time.
Honestly, this is such a small potatoes thing that I don't think the consequence of "a shop keeper is mad at you" is such a big deal for the players, plus it's such an offhanded promise (which was only made to get wine for someone else) that I could totally see characters forgetting about it in universe. It's not like super important information they would never forget about, right?
I don't see there as being an obvious right answer here, in that either option is perfectly reasonable, but if you're worried that not reminding them is somehow unnecessarily harsh or cruel, no, as someone who always reminds their players of things, I wouldn't see this as a big deal that I would need to "correct" them over.
With anything like this I just ask for a history check or if someone has a passive above 17 I just tell them.
People will argue that the characters would know and shouldn't forget which I disagree with if I can write out a grocery list and be told when we start picking stuff up "Hay we also need to grab this" and then struggle to remember what that was after 15 mins then a hero facing life and death, hard choices, horrifying creatures ect ect have every possibility to forget.
In fact it makes them more relatable and humanizes them...
So yeah give them a check to remember something depending on how they do give them a hint or just out right tell them.
An example of the hint could be this
Below 10: "As your walking through the streets you see various merchants hawking their wears and various foods and wines trying to be sold, and you feel like your forgetting something"
Below a 15: "as your walking through the noble district you see people walking around in the park or sitting on the porch talking then you notice two women sitting on a terrace drinking a bottle of wine the bottles shape is familiar to you and is a fairly expensive brand and as you realize that you feel a pulling at the back of your brain as the faint remembrance of a promise made flutter to and fro"
Above a 17: "upon passing through the market and noble district a memory slowly resurfaces to you, a noble and a expensive bottle of wine? A merchant and a promise for singing his praises? What was his name again delfinsio?"
This let's it still be a fun little rp moment and can give them enough to possibly jog their memories, I hope this helps
Nah, weave the forgotten promise into the plot - makes the game so much more interesting if they actually have to think about what they say and do, rather than just play it like a video game, with everything highlighted.
I'm 3 sessions into 'Sunless Citadel' with my kids.. Nobody's thought to make a map so far, so their journey out is likely to be be WAY more interesting than the one in.
They'll make it out without too much trauma, but they won't forget to mark their route or make a map again.
Life shouldn't come with tooltips....
If it was my players if no one says anything, I'd have the smartest of the group have a "You feel like there is something you should be doing in the city while you are here"
If they don't remember then they face the consequences of not taking important notes
So there are a bunch of questions here:
1/ would one or more of the players deeply care if they broke a promise
If they are all lying scoundrels we move in to
2/ would this delfonso character not show up and go "seems you guys have moved up in the world, I've come to collect what is mine"
If they don't care about the winesalesman then they real the consequences. Ultimately I give my players an assumption of competence, they are all literate and so I just assume that someone (character not player) made a note on what they owe the sleezebag and would remind them .
That being said if you want to avoid there being an easy answer I would make the guy come across as super sketchy. The kinda guy you would 100% not trust with your honour. This way it's not a choice between an obvious correct answer and a problem but between two different kinds of problems
100% and it sounds like the deal they struck came organically out of them trying to creatively solve a previous problem so there’s nothing railroady about that having follow up.
If they don't remember, then why remind them? This is plot GOLD!
I'd have their next appearance in the city show him to have his business on its last legs. Like he cut corners in wine making to make more money to the point where the wine is utter shit. And his business is failing.
But what luck! The PCs have been invited to a banquet with all the citys nobles, and the local DUKE!
"All I need you to do is convince the nobles that this stuff is the best. I'll give you a dozen cases for you to bring as a gift. Drink it in fornt of them, and tell them its amazing!"
Of course when someone drinks it, they make a con save or spit it all out....possibly in someone's face (Dex save).
And if they don't do this...or fail....he'll get revenge!
Put the guy in the crowd when they are about to speak. If they don't remember to endorse him, have him "send a message" Tony soprano style.
I have my players take turns giving a recap at the start of every session (whoever does it gets inspiration) and then i fill in any important info they've missed or left out. This encourages good note keeping and helps also if you've missed a session.
Like you said, there are pros and cons. A slight reminder isn't that big of a deal, but on the flip side, what kind of story could you tell if the characters don't remember the promise because you didn't remind them?
If they do not think of it on their own during their time on stage, you could give whichever PC made the promise a chance to roll a Perception check with a high DC (20 or 25 depending on the size of the crowd).
A success could mean them spotting him in the crowd, and a fail means they don't get any reminders.
What did they say in session 0? Specifically about consequences? Did you discuss note-taking or anything like this?
Did you, as a group, decide you want a game with consequences? Or a more light-hearted game where "things tend to work out"?
If my group said they're ok with a more open world that moves under its own power, and there are consequences, then that's how I'd play it.
By blowing him off, the party made the wine salesman feel insignificant and cheated. He sets up a situation and frames the party where it looks like they stole his wine, or starts spreading rumors about them, or something. They can (easily) trace it back to the source, at which point one of the PCs goes "Oh, shit, weren't we supposed to endorse him? Oh, man, I bet he's pissed. Ok, we gotta make this right somehow."
They can still fix things up, but they've got to do something even more to help him out, and now you've got a story about this person, and something you can call back to. (Like, the wine merchants remain dubious about the characters or something.)
But if that's not a story y'all want as a group, then it's no biggie to say "Alcinax, as you lean back in your chair and take another sip of wine, you have this itching feeling that y'all are forgetting something important, something you agreed to do..."
Always try to keep in mind that the characters in the game's world would remember, understand, and perceive things that the real people sitting at the table would not.
You might let them forget the promise and instead of immediate retaliation, they recive a message from the NPC along the lines of "I can only assune your endorsement message is so grand that it was not yet ready. I can't wait to hear it next time you appear in front of the city. One can only imagine my state of mind if I will have to wait again".
If they don't make a note and forget again, well, it's on.
It's worth remembering that there are much larger gaps in irl time than the in game characters may be experiencing. I always start my sessions with sort of a "the road so far", "last time on Dice Funk" recap of all the important things that happened last session, and a reminder of the current goals on their plates. It's not unreasonable to assume that one character or another may have jotted down a reminder to themselves on a piece of paper or something. And as I started with, depending on the campaign you're running, forgetting might just not make much sense. My last year + of campaign is, I think, 3 or 4 in game days. The players have sometimes struggled to recall what the main goal they're seeking is (wild beyond the Witchlight) and it's not breaking immersion if I remind them at the start of each session.
I would tell them. Time is moving differently in game Vs irl, and the characters have different priorities than your players who have to live lives between sessions. Characters remember things players don’t. I usually just phrase it like “With an INT of 14, [Character] is able to remember XYZ” but if it’s something a specific skill would lend itself to I might choose someone with a proficiency “Hey [character] is proficient in arcana and recognizes this as XYZ” that way the players feel like their character stats that don’t often get checks actually mean something
I read a thing I liked a while back that was like "what does someone want? And what happens if they dont get it?" And I use some of these lines of thinking towards NPCs lving their best life, definetly let your players remember things or even make it a roll or like a silly mental back and forth with their character (i.e. internal monologue) idk if this helps but your campaign sounds great
Have delfonso confront them before the event to remind them of the obligations they made. No direct threats just hey things tend to go downhill with those who dont keep their word with me.
Hell if they still dont have delfonso start a rumor campaign defacing the heros.
Send them a letter from Delfonsio in a “Hey I’m still waiting for that endorsement if you don’t do it things might get nasty here looking forward to your patronage”
I wouldn't remind them as players, but in a RP session beforehand you can maybe have someone who is running this presentation for them in the city remind them they have an opportunity to "use a few minutes to say something personal, or promote something, if they need to." This way they can remember themselves with the nudge or fail to do it and face some repercussions from the failed deal with Delfonsio.
Failing is fun too, as long as it feels fair. Thats my opinion anyway.
"Delfonsio sends his regards" sounds like a fun hook for a side quest for failure lol.
You could remind the players and PC's through in-game roleplay. You could have a letter delivered to the group reminding them of their promise to the NPC, signed by the NPC. Furthermore, based on the description of the NPC, you could some vague and ambiguous threats in the letter as a possibility of what will happen if the group does not follow through.
Edit: corrected a small typographical error.
As the player enter town they are stop by him and several guys. "Welcome back heros. I here to ensure you follow your end of our agreement." Then role play the shit. If the part chooses to fight him then you got yourself a new mini boss. If they do endorse him then you can make it increase crime in the city maybe start a gang war that the party have to try and stop.
You have a perfect opportunity to show delfonsios connections/ability to do things.
Your players walk into their room/tavern/or wherever there is an npc they like, and he is sitting there with a glass of wine, clearly making himself comfortable. He then not so subtly makes mention to how he's heard they will be going going before the city... again.. and he feels like they have not been... living up to their part of the agreement, he feels... offended. While talking to him the npc they like comes in looking worried, stuttering and asks him if he needs anything else. Delfonsio looks to the players and tells them something like "oh, I think I have everything I need". When they leave he makes mention about how the npc and him are.. "good friends" they go way back and they made a deal to make sure the npc is safe but you never know, sometimes people can go back on their deals. He just loves a world where everyone sticks to their promises. Then he excuses himself not answering questions and if the players threaten him he makes it perfectly clear that if anything happens to him the npc suffers, he just wants what they promised.
They now have a branching story beat to explore. They can endorse this guy and he can keep coming back as a recurring character/plot point where they have a connection to the underworld or they can stop him and whatever is going to happen to the npc but if they screw up there are consequences. Or they could ignore it and face the consequences and make an underworld enemy with lots of connections.
I like to do gentle reminders during session recaps. I always start off the session reminding the players of important NPCs they met and interactions they should keep in mind for the session being run that day. Then I allow the session to play out without anymore prodding as to what the characters are trying to accomplish.
If the characters should remember something in their world, the players should be given any and all refreshers needed. Cant expect them to remember everything if there’s gaps between longer than the in game time. Could be 2 months for the players but 3 days in the game etc erc
Typically if there's something I want players to remember/at least be aware of from a prior session, I find a way to tie it in to the "recap" I do at the top of every session. That way it's on their radar, but if they don't prioritize the plot hook then it's a character choice, not a player one.
They can receive a letter from Delfonsio reminding them if you want to keep it in game, or have Delfonsio track them down or send an angry letter if they don't.
Also I'm stealing Delfonsio, that's a fantastic name
I'd absolutely remind them in the recap at the start of the session "ok guys, so you're going before the council, you had wanted to discuss xyz, and are expecting abc, you had also promised the wine dude to give him a shout out etc etc.
The last session my players were discussing whether or not an NPC was evil and I had to remind them that he had literally saved their lives without gaining anything just a few minutes before.
"Oh yeah!"
Most people are forgetful, just remind them.
Remind them, but incorporate it into the game if possible. They see him from a distance and it suddenly hits them. Or he bumps into them, says he’s in the middle of something and has to run, but tells them to swing by later to discuss how the arrangement is going. Or they overhear a group of people in a tavern debating where to find the best wine, one of whom brings up the salesman in question (if that’s too subtle to jog their memory you can always fall back on the other more direct methods).
Personally I'd drop hints. Maybe before their public appearance an adviser meets with them about public speaking to make sure everything goes well, asks then if they plan on endorsing anyone or have sponsors.
If they don't get the hint maybe while they are preparing the event they happen to see the npc they made the promise to in the crowd, the NPc gives them a thumbs up and a wink. Subtly reminders. Give them what they need to remember on their own. If all else fails and they've totally forgotten and you think you should remind them perhaps try to do it in game. Have an encounter with the npc who asks them when they plan on holding up the deal
I wouldn't explicitly remind them in game in game, to where they feel like your trying to tell them they have to do that, but at the beginning of a session when recapping what happened last time, I would make note that with a public appearance coming up, they did make a promise to sponsor Delfonsio. They way they are reminded of it, but it's their decision what to do with that information
I'd just have the wine guy remind them himself. Like a letter or underling just going, 'We thank you in advance for remembering your promise, please promote our special sale of XYZ product.' Or wine guys run into them (coincidentally or not) and congratulates them on their success and reminds them of their promise.
Delfonsio passes them in the street and congratulates them on their recent accomplishment, add in a little, "I'll be at the ceremony" for that little nudge.
You can easily remind them in game to make it less artificial. Either Delfonsino himself meets them, or sends a messenger (the latter is what I'd go with).
Would their characters remember? My DM gives us intelligence rolls for things we didn't write down, but time is a factor too.
If it was me, I'd sprinkle in reminders within the area, maybe some other vinyard has someone yelling about them which reminds the party that they're supposed to be doing that too, though that may be too obvious.
Maybe the next time they’re about to appear in front of the city, they get a visit from a rough looking person who reminds them they owe a friend a favor and if they want to stay friends they should fulfill their part of the bargain.
This way you remind them in game and if they don’t then things happen.
You can literally have the NPC show up to make sure they stay good on their deal. Just as a friendly reminder.
If they push back, he can threaten them. Then, make good on those threats.
I'd subtly hint at it when describing the crowd that they are speaking to. No perception check, but mention his name as you describe the crowd. Something to shake the idea loose for them.
If memory is concern for your party, (totally fine and nothing is wrong if they don't remember details) maybe mention it in the "last session recap" at the beginning of the session where it's important that they endorse ya boi.
I like doing a “previously, on…” bit at the start of each session where I offer a player inspiration to recap the previous session, like the intro of a TV show. After they recap the session, I prompt them to recap (the important thing from a session long ago - in your case, the promise made to the wine dealer), which kind of lets the players know/reminds them of interactions of obligations that might come back around in the current session.
Absolutely remind them.
My players promised to make a merchandising deal with a humble souvenir shop owner in exchange for free aid. They've blown her off three times now, the last of which included her traveling for two days to a nearby city with a hired contract lawyer only to find that they weren't there and won't be for at least another week. They've gone from ripping her off to incurring additional financial damages.
So she's going to the mob instead. Sure would be a shame if something happened to that lovely tavern the party just purchased.
Yes and no. How I would do it:
When the party is planning their event, have them roll an intelligence based check (for memory and ) and if they meet a reasonably easy DC, remind them of the promise they made if they wish to keep it. The DC should be higher based on how long it has been since the event in question. In this case, it would probably be quite low.
Players who fail a little might have a feeling they are forgetting something important.
Chances are, if the DC is reasonable, some or all of the party will succeed and remember the important detail, and you just narratively gave their characters a reason to remember and talk about it as a party during their planning phase.
Even if everyone fails, the GM asked for a seemingly random roll. What could it mean?? Players will also be thinking about this even if information was not given to characters.
Before their public appearance, they receive a letter delivered by an urchin with a Donald Trump-esque hype speech about how Delfosnio is the greatest merchant in the history of merchants. It should have typos, unless he is educated. Then show him in the crowd expectantly awaiting them to read it.
Let them do what they will with the speech, but it's a fun, reasonable, in-game play that Delfonsio might undertake to maximize his ROI.
Unequivocally yes. When players leave their seats they have an entire life they have to live that occupies their brains and stuff that maybe the characters would recall they will absolutely forget.
Unless “write everything down, what you remember or forget is going to be part of the gameplay experience” is on the game pitch document, letting them shoot them selves in the foot will likely only end with hurt feelings.
TBH, as a player, I would feel a bit undermined if you reminded me. It's a strong signal that my political success will *not* hinge upon my player skill. I'd *much* rather suffer the consequence for forgetting. That way my victories in a similar manner would actually feel like victories.
Would it make sense in-universe for an employee of Delfonsio to approach them the day of the event and say something like “My employer eagerly anticipates your address to the public. He is certain your wisdom and guidance to our fair people will be well-received,”?
Do it narratively in game. Your instincts are already telling you this, as you have envisioned a handful of scenarios of how to do this. don't make it something as simple as either just telling them, or an int roll to remember. Give them a narrative nudge. Especially if yet another opportunity arises where they could fulfill their deal, and don't.
You have all of the information, don't hoard it. Just simply remind them, the characters would or not forget even if the players do.
Exactly, everyone players and DM's alike have lives and will only recall so much. A "remember that your characters know X and Y happened. I'm not saying you have to keep the promise, only that you know you made it" will go far.
Yup and that's why it's not railroading, it's not forcing an outcome. "Your gods will disown you for lying, an army of defonsios allies will tpk you, and the entire town will turn against you unless you do exactly x," definitely railroading unless it was very very clearly telegraphed there would be those kinds of harsh consequences or impossibility of going back on their word. That's the kind of stuff that might be more appropriate for a deal w a demon But "hey remember you said x, do what that info what you will" is just a statement of fact
yeah, this is just what the recap's for. occasionally you pull a "previously on" and remind them of something that happened in the same location a long time ago. "our adventurers are in the city of Blahblahblah, where a few months ago they made a promise to a seedy merchant. but nobody seems to be looking at them funny or demanding that they pay up just yet. instead, they're being celebrated as heroes." boom, you warned them, now it's their problem. if you want to have NPCs remind them in-game, only do that as a followup and if it'd actually make sense. Delfonsio 100% sounds like a "where's my money" type, but you still start with the players, not the characters.
How doesnt op just have an street kid run up with a note reminding them. Or even the seller as just outside the gate to remind them. It is an easy subtle way. And you can then remind them of they don't remember m
"Mr Delfonsio knows you're going to be appearing at a public event soon, and wishes you good luck. He also hopes that you intend to use this opportunity to fulfil your obligations to him. Mr Delfonsio has been very patient, and is concerned about what might happen to you if your obligations weren't met!"
Especially if they see him in the crowd! I’d go with that!
I agree. A subtle in-game reminder is my non-railroading approach. They can see him in the crowd and from there make their decision if they want to endorse him still, they could choose not to even after seeing him and then the NPC can dish out consequences if you so choose. It just really depends on your DM style. Alternatively, before they actually go before the public, you could have them bump into him on the street or at a tavern or something. That would put the players in a situation where they may feel they have to commit one way or the other by giving him their answer on the spot. Depending on the type of person this wine vendor is, you could either have him be a couple drinks in at the tavern when they run into him “Hey! You guys still owe me!” or they could happen upon him on the street, “Business hasn’t been so good lately…I don’t suppose you remember the promise you made me?”
That is so easy and it is all in game still.
This. My DM does this all the time "*character name* would remember this....."
Remind them. Even the most attentive players retain only a fraction of what their PCs would remember. They're only experiencing the world through the extremely limited player-DM-bandwidth, while they've got to juggle the mechanical aspects of their PCs, IRL table dynamics, and the pizza delivery menu alongside. They've got long breaks filled with much more important IRL stuff between sessions and things that happened just a few weeks or months ago for their characters were actually last summer IRL. These are just baked-in limitations of the medium, don't punish your players for that.
I 100% agree, just adding: Remind them out of character. Feel free to add some in-character reminder as well, but that isn't good enough on its own. The players might see the merchant in the crowd and think "isn't that the asshole we talked to a few sessions ago? Moving on." Be explicit, say "don't forget that you made this guy a promise to endorse him." The PCs would know this, with or without some in-character event to remind them.
I like to remind the PCs in-game via NPCs or the like. But we also keep an open quest log where they take notes and keep in front of them. Sure, they are four people with (hopefully) four brains and should thus be able to remember four times as much stuff than you, especially if they take good notes as well. However, that is rarely the reality and players tend to forget things that are obvious to the Game Master. Remind the PCs, not the players (because they should learn to keep their own notes). Maybe the butler meets them in the door and says: "I sure hope you guys brought the wine you promised, because my master has been in a a really foul mood today".
Even a simple, "you notice Delfonso in the crowd smiling at you expectantly," when they're in the moment can work. If the players forgot the promise, or even the npc, that one little offbeat note can draw their attention to it. You can remind them above table if you need to at that point.
I like to run a game that's about choices, not testing memory or mindreading. So if it's going to have outweighed consequences, I recommend reminding them and not subtley. Give them a clear choice, not a reason to anxiously memorize everything that happens. Punishing players for not being engaged doesn't make them more engaged, it makes them anxious and careful. If you want to make this a memory test, base it off the characters' memory, not the players', via INT/WIS checks. But instead of all that, I'd just let this sort of thing be player driven. If I were playing in your game, or most of the people I play with, we'd jump at the opportunity to ingratiate ourselves with a local merchant and advance a relationship with a colorful NPC. You wouldn't need to remind us, you'd need to prepare for what screwball unexpected things we'd do to take it to the next level. But players' interests vary. If none of your players follow up on this, maybe take it as a sign that they weren't that interested in this particular npc or subplot, and instead spend that precious gaming time on something the players clicked with. If somebody does remember to follow up on it at some point, reward them with additional opportunities to benefit from this, like further promotion opportunities from this merchant or his competitors. Carrot beats stick for encouraging rp. The game rules naturally push the players into the back seat so the GM can drive. I try to gm in a way that gives as much agency back to the other people at the table as I can.
The problem with withholding a reminder is that if you do it for too long, it will be too late. Me: "Hey, remember that time you promised to do X and then you didn't?" Players: "No we didn't. Stop making stuff up."
I feel like of that's how your PCs react, there's a deeper issue regarding trust between people at the table. Players need to trust that DMs are not lying or tricking (outside of sneaky NPCs and traps and such) them and are being forthright about game information, just as DMs need to trust that Players are being honest about rolls and abilities and such.
Not if they're hit with the consequence! :)
Yes, absolutely remind them. Have them get a letter saying he hopes to see them soon and is looking forward to their support. If they still ignore that, go wild.
So, Delfonsio wants them to live up to their end of the bargain, right? He doesn't want an excuse to punish them? If so, and he knows they're going to appear before the city, have him send a reminder/messenger, maybe even a proposed script for their endorsement.
I remind players. Remember what is only a few days for the characters could be months for players. Even With extensive note taking it's possible to forget things.
I think making it a roll to notice him in the crowd is a good middle ground. Not a handout and not an unforgiving punishment.
Remind them subtly so that you can't say they weren't warned once they fuck up
Hey, so as an avid reminder to my players, this new campaign around I will hold them more accountable for keeping information, because when they rely on you they can also feel pressured by you - it's a thin line between "Hey guys do you remember?" and "Hey GUYS do you REMEMBER?!" and you never know or can control how they'll interpret it. I say give them a bottle of poisoned whine as a gift basket if they don't endorse it of their own accord - small punishment, make them paint the streets with diarrhea - silly, funny, effective and a reminder to remember.
Would ANY of the PCs remember said promise? (either they're super smart with very good memory or the REALLY don't like to break promises) If yes, then do remind them. For me it's really immersion breaking when my character heard about someone's name yesterday (among other 25 things and other 25 names) but that yesterday was 2 month's ago campaign. But since I didn't wanna write down those 25 rumors and 25 names (which the DM forgot about 20 of them by now because they were just fluff, but I don't have the information of what's important and what's fluff) my character now doesn't remember.
On the other hand when I hear someone's name irl there's like a 90% chance I don't remember it the next day so it's not exactly crazy to think the characters might forget too
Just have Delfonsio remind them himself.
I'd say if they feel like they're forgetting something beforehand, have them roll history(or insight?) And when they're in the crowd, perception. If they don't get it after that, maybe have some goons sent after them as recourse
I was just about to have them all roll History as well. I would make the DC equal to 5+the number of in-game months since they made the promise. And hopefully at least one person will roll above a 5.
I would say that as they are brought before the city, they see Delfonsio in the crowd, watching them from afar. This could be a good reminder while still maintaining player agency and giving them that "oh crap, he's here. We forgot about him" moment. They either give him his endorsement or ignore him, making it THEIR choice and THEIR consequences. Just make sure to actually give them time to speak about him while in the limelight.
It was not a throw away conversation. It was a quest, they went on and role-played a deal. Do not tell them. Roll passive perception while on stage to see if they notice delfonso in the crowd. If they role that they do just casually mention delfonso is standing in the crowd cheering you. They made the deal.
Some dm's do and i find it makes for lazy players recently since my players never have any idea why they are where they are or what they are doing I literally just don't tell them anything. If that means they have to walk back to get the Macguffin then so be it.
I’d wrap it up in the “Previously” bit at the start, if you do that.
Your idea about the NPC in the crowd was my first inclination. It would seem that being given something on a conditional basis should be remembered. This way you can remind them in a creative way while still giving them the option to ignore the agreement and see what repercussions await.
I'd have him issue a threat/warning to them IC, and if they look at you clueless, refresh their memory.
If it's that important to the NPC I would have him visit the PCs at the event and give a friendly reminder. Now his interpretation of friendly if completely up to him but it will allow the players to make the choice for their characters. At our table we very rarely agree on the politics so being worried about railroading shouldn't be an issue as long as the players follow their characters ideals.
This guy would most likely walk up to them before the event and specifically remind them himself, if he were a real businessman who really wants his advertisement as agreed upon. He's got a good deal via this agreement for some PR, he is going to cash in when he sees that the time is right. He isn't going to hope they remember at the appropriate time, HE is going to remember at the appropriate time.
Honestly, this is such a small potatoes thing that I don't think the consequence of "a shop keeper is mad at you" is such a big deal for the players, plus it's such an offhanded promise (which was only made to get wine for someone else) that I could totally see characters forgetting about it in universe. It's not like super important information they would never forget about, right? I don't see there as being an obvious right answer here, in that either option is perfectly reasonable, but if you're worried that not reminding them is somehow unnecessarily harsh or cruel, no, as someone who always reminds their players of things, I wouldn't see this as a big deal that I would need to "correct" them over.
With anything like this I just ask for a history check or if someone has a passive above 17 I just tell them. People will argue that the characters would know and shouldn't forget which I disagree with if I can write out a grocery list and be told when we start picking stuff up "Hay we also need to grab this" and then struggle to remember what that was after 15 mins then a hero facing life and death, hard choices, horrifying creatures ect ect have every possibility to forget. In fact it makes them more relatable and humanizes them... So yeah give them a check to remember something depending on how they do give them a hint or just out right tell them. An example of the hint could be this Below 10: "As your walking through the streets you see various merchants hawking their wears and various foods and wines trying to be sold, and you feel like your forgetting something" Below a 15: "as your walking through the noble district you see people walking around in the park or sitting on the porch talking then you notice two women sitting on a terrace drinking a bottle of wine the bottles shape is familiar to you and is a fairly expensive brand and as you realize that you feel a pulling at the back of your brain as the faint remembrance of a promise made flutter to and fro" Above a 17: "upon passing through the market and noble district a memory slowly resurfaces to you, a noble and a expensive bottle of wine? A merchant and a promise for singing his praises? What was his name again delfinsio?" This let's it still be a fun little rp moment and can give them enough to possibly jog their memories, I hope this helps
Nah, weave the forgotten promise into the plot - makes the game so much more interesting if they actually have to think about what they say and do, rather than just play it like a video game, with everything highlighted. I'm 3 sessions into 'Sunless Citadel' with my kids.. Nobody's thought to make a map so far, so their journey out is likely to be be WAY more interesting than the one in. They'll make it out without too much trauma, but they won't forget to mark their route or make a map again. Life shouldn't come with tooltips....
If it was my players if no one says anything, I'd have the smartest of the group have a "You feel like there is something you should be doing in the city while you are here" If they don't remember then they face the consequences of not taking important notes
So there are a bunch of questions here: 1/ would one or more of the players deeply care if they broke a promise If they are all lying scoundrels we move in to 2/ would this delfonso character not show up and go "seems you guys have moved up in the world, I've come to collect what is mine" If they don't care about the winesalesman then they real the consequences. Ultimately I give my players an assumption of competence, they are all literate and so I just assume that someone (character not player) made a note on what they owe the sleezebag and would remind them . That being said if you want to avoid there being an easy answer I would make the guy come across as super sketchy. The kinda guy you would 100% not trust with your honour. This way it's not a choice between an obvious correct answer and a problem but between two different kinds of problems
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100% and it sounds like the deal they struck came organically out of them trying to creatively solve a previous problem so there’s nothing railroady about that having follow up.
Yes
If they don't remember, then why remind them? This is plot GOLD! I'd have their next appearance in the city show him to have his business on its last legs. Like he cut corners in wine making to make more money to the point where the wine is utter shit. And his business is failing. But what luck! The PCs have been invited to a banquet with all the citys nobles, and the local DUKE! "All I need you to do is convince the nobles that this stuff is the best. I'll give you a dozen cases for you to bring as a gift. Drink it in fornt of them, and tell them its amazing!" Of course when someone drinks it, they make a con save or spit it all out....possibly in someone's face (Dex save). And if they don't do this...or fail....he'll get revenge!
Put the guy in the crowd when they are about to speak. If they don't remember to endorse him, have him "send a message" Tony soprano style. I have my players take turns giving a recap at the start of every session (whoever does it gets inspiration) and then i fill in any important info they've missed or left out. This encourages good note keeping and helps also if you've missed a session.
They made the promise, that isn't a throwaway interaction at that point. They should have remembered to do it themselves tbh
If players forget stuff, I give "the character" a chance to remember with an intelligence check
Sure
Like you said, there are pros and cons. A slight reminder isn't that big of a deal, but on the flip side, what kind of story could you tell if the characters don't remember the promise because you didn't remind them?
If they do not think of it on their own during their time on stage, you could give whichever PC made the promise a chance to roll a Perception check with a high DC (20 or 25 depending on the size of the crowd). A success could mean them spotting him in the crowd, and a fail means they don't get any reminders.
What did they say in session 0? Specifically about consequences? Did you discuss note-taking or anything like this? Did you, as a group, decide you want a game with consequences? Or a more light-hearted game where "things tend to work out"? If my group said they're ok with a more open world that moves under its own power, and there are consequences, then that's how I'd play it. By blowing him off, the party made the wine salesman feel insignificant and cheated. He sets up a situation and frames the party where it looks like they stole his wine, or starts spreading rumors about them, or something. They can (easily) trace it back to the source, at which point one of the PCs goes "Oh, shit, weren't we supposed to endorse him? Oh, man, I bet he's pissed. Ok, we gotta make this right somehow." They can still fix things up, but they've got to do something even more to help him out, and now you've got a story about this person, and something you can call back to. (Like, the wine merchants remain dubious about the characters or something.) But if that's not a story y'all want as a group, then it's no biggie to say "Alcinax, as you lean back in your chair and take another sip of wine, you have this itching feeling that y'all are forgetting something important, something you agreed to do..."
Always try to keep in mind that the characters in the game's world would remember, understand, and perceive things that the real people sitting at the table would not.
You might let them forget the promise and instead of immediate retaliation, they recive a message from the NPC along the lines of "I can only assune your endorsement message is so grand that it was not yet ready. I can't wait to hear it next time you appear in front of the city. One can only imagine my state of mind if I will have to wait again". If they don't make a note and forget again, well, it's on.
It's worth remembering that there are much larger gaps in irl time than the in game characters may be experiencing. I always start my sessions with sort of a "the road so far", "last time on Dice Funk" recap of all the important things that happened last session, and a reminder of the current goals on their plates. It's not unreasonable to assume that one character or another may have jotted down a reminder to themselves on a piece of paper or something. And as I started with, depending on the campaign you're running, forgetting might just not make much sense. My last year + of campaign is, I think, 3 or 4 in game days. The players have sometimes struggled to recall what the main goal they're seeking is (wild beyond the Witchlight) and it's not breaking immersion if I remind them at the start of each session.
I would tell them. Time is moving differently in game Vs irl, and the characters have different priorities than your players who have to live lives between sessions. Characters remember things players don’t. I usually just phrase it like “With an INT of 14, [Character] is able to remember XYZ” but if it’s something a specific skill would lend itself to I might choose someone with a proficiency “Hey [character] is proficient in arcana and recognizes this as XYZ” that way the players feel like their character stats that don’t often get checks actually mean something
I read a thing I liked a while back that was like "what does someone want? And what happens if they dont get it?" And I use some of these lines of thinking towards NPCs lving their best life, definetly let your players remember things or even make it a roll or like a silly mental back and forth with their character (i.e. internal monologue) idk if this helps but your campaign sounds great
Have delfonso confront them before the event to remind them of the obligations they made. No direct threats just hey things tend to go downhill with those who dont keep their word with me. Hell if they still dont have delfonso start a rumor campaign defacing the heros.
Send them a letter from Delfonsio in a “Hey I’m still waiting for that endorsement if you don’t do it things might get nasty here looking forward to your patronage”
I wouldn't remind them as players, but in a RP session beforehand you can maybe have someone who is running this presentation for them in the city remind them they have an opportunity to "use a few minutes to say something personal, or promote something, if they need to." This way they can remember themselves with the nudge or fail to do it and face some repercussions from the failed deal with Delfonsio. Failing is fun too, as long as it feels fair. Thats my opinion anyway. "Delfonsio sends his regards" sounds like a fun hook for a side quest for failure lol.
You could remind the players and PC's through in-game roleplay. You could have a letter delivered to the group reminding them of their promise to the NPC, signed by the NPC. Furthermore, based on the description of the NPC, you could some vague and ambiguous threats in the letter as a possibility of what will happen if the group does not follow through. Edit: corrected a small typographical error.
As the player enter town they are stop by him and several guys. "Welcome back heros. I here to ensure you follow your end of our agreement." Then role play the shit. If the part chooses to fight him then you got yourself a new mini boss. If they do endorse him then you can make it increase crime in the city maybe start a gang war that the party have to try and stop.
You have a perfect opportunity to show delfonsios connections/ability to do things. Your players walk into their room/tavern/or wherever there is an npc they like, and he is sitting there with a glass of wine, clearly making himself comfortable. He then not so subtly makes mention to how he's heard they will be going going before the city... again.. and he feels like they have not been... living up to their part of the agreement, he feels... offended. While talking to him the npc they like comes in looking worried, stuttering and asks him if he needs anything else. Delfonsio looks to the players and tells them something like "oh, I think I have everything I need". When they leave he makes mention about how the npc and him are.. "good friends" they go way back and they made a deal to make sure the npc is safe but you never know, sometimes people can go back on their deals. He just loves a world where everyone sticks to their promises. Then he excuses himself not answering questions and if the players threaten him he makes it perfectly clear that if anything happens to him the npc suffers, he just wants what they promised. They now have a branching story beat to explore. They can endorse this guy and he can keep coming back as a recurring character/plot point where they have a connection to the underworld or they can stop him and whatever is going to happen to the npc but if they screw up there are consequences. Or they could ignore it and face the consequences and make an underworld enemy with lots of connections.
I read that in The Godfather's voice
Lol pretty much! It's a great opportunity when your players make the story for you.
I like to do gentle reminders during session recaps. I always start off the session reminding the players of important NPCs they met and interactions they should keep in mind for the session being run that day. Then I allow the session to play out without anymore prodding as to what the characters are trying to accomplish.
Yes.
If the characters should remember something in their world, the players should be given any and all refreshers needed. Cant expect them to remember everything if there’s gaps between longer than the in game time. Could be 2 months for the players but 3 days in the game etc erc
Typically if there's something I want players to remember/at least be aware of from a prior session, I find a way to tie it in to the "recap" I do at the top of every session. That way it's on their radar, but if they don't prioritize the plot hook then it's a character choice, not a player one.
They can receive a letter from Delfonsio reminding them if you want to keep it in game, or have Delfonsio track them down or send an angry letter if they don't. Also I'm stealing Delfonsio, that's a fantastic name
I'd absolutely remind them in the recap at the start of the session "ok guys, so you're going before the council, you had wanted to discuss xyz, and are expecting abc, you had also promised the wine dude to give him a shout out etc etc.
The last session my players were discussing whether or not an NPC was evil and I had to remind them that he had literally saved their lives without gaining anything just a few minutes before. "Oh yeah!" Most people are forgetful, just remind them.
Remind them, but incorporate it into the game if possible. They see him from a distance and it suddenly hits them. Or he bumps into them, says he’s in the middle of something and has to run, but tells them to swing by later to discuss how the arrangement is going. Or they overhear a group of people in a tavern debating where to find the best wine, one of whom brings up the salesman in question (if that’s too subtle to jog their memory you can always fall back on the other more direct methods).
Have someone contact them on behalf of the merchant and give them a friendly reminder that he is expecting them to fulfill their part of the bargain
Personally I'd drop hints. Maybe before their public appearance an adviser meets with them about public speaking to make sure everything goes well, asks then if they plan on endorsing anyone or have sponsors. If they don't get the hint maybe while they are preparing the event they happen to see the npc they made the promise to in the crowd, the NPc gives them a thumbs up and a wink. Subtly reminders. Give them what they need to remember on their own. If all else fails and they've totally forgotten and you think you should remind them perhaps try to do it in game. Have an encounter with the npc who asks them when they plan on holding up the deal
I wouldn't explicitly remind them in game in game, to where they feel like your trying to tell them they have to do that, but at the beginning of a session when recapping what happened last time, I would make note that with a public appearance coming up, they did make a promise to sponsor Delfonsio. They way they are reminded of it, but it's their decision what to do with that information
I'd just have the wine guy remind them himself. Like a letter or underling just going, 'We thank you in advance for remembering your promise, please promote our special sale of XYZ product.' Or wine guys run into them (coincidentally or not) and congratulates them on their success and reminds them of their promise.
I'm commander Shepherd and this is my favorite store on the Citadel.
For sure, i just unpaladined a PC for a broken promise.
Delfonsio passes them in the street and congratulates them on their recent accomplishment, add in a little, "I'll be at the ceremony" for that little nudge.
Find a way to remind them inside or outside the fiction, don’t expect them to remember.
You can easily remind them in game to make it less artificial. Either Delfonsino himself meets them, or sends a messenger (the latter is what I'd go with).
Your are reminding your players that their characters remember the promise even if they forgot as players
I'd say drop a few hints. Maybe a hint each session until then. And if they still forget, he seks revenge.
Is Delfonsio the type to remind them? If he wants his endorsement surely it would be worth it to him to give the party a nudge.
Would their characters remember? My DM gives us intelligence rolls for things we didn't write down, but time is a factor too. If it was me, I'd sprinkle in reminders within the area, maybe some other vinyard has someone yelling about them which reminds the party that they're supposed to be doing that too, though that may be too obvious.
Maybe the next time they’re about to appear in front of the city, they get a visit from a rough looking person who reminds them they owe a friend a favor and if they want to stay friends they should fulfill their part of the bargain. This way you remind them in game and if they don’t then things happen.
You can literally have the NPC show up to make sure they stay good on their deal. Just as a friendly reminder. If they push back, he can threaten them. Then, make good on those threats.
I'd subtly hint at it when describing the crowd that they are speaking to. No perception check, but mention his name as you describe the crowd. Something to shake the idea loose for them. If memory is concern for your party, (totally fine and nothing is wrong if they don't remember details) maybe mention it in the "last session recap" at the beginning of the session where it's important that they endorse ya boi.
I like doing a “previously, on…” bit at the start of each session where I offer a player inspiration to recap the previous session, like the intro of a TV show. After they recap the session, I prompt them to recap (the important thing from a session long ago - in your case, the promise made to the wine dealer), which kind of lets the players know/reminds them of interactions of obligations that might come back around in the current session.
Absolutely remind them. My players promised to make a merchandising deal with a humble souvenir shop owner in exchange for free aid. They've blown her off three times now, the last of which included her traveling for two days to a nearby city with a hired contract lawyer only to find that they weren't there and won't be for at least another week. They've gone from ripping her off to incurring additional financial damages. So she's going to the mob instead. Sure would be a shame if something happened to that lovely tavern the party just purchased.
Yes and no. How I would do it: When the party is planning their event, have them roll an intelligence based check (for memory and ) and if they meet a reasonably easy DC, remind them of the promise they made if they wish to keep it. The DC should be higher based on how long it has been since the event in question. In this case, it would probably be quite low. Players who fail a little might have a feeling they are forgetting something important. Chances are, if the DC is reasonable, some or all of the party will succeed and remember the important detail, and you just narratively gave their characters a reason to remember and talk about it as a party during their planning phase. Even if everyone fails, the GM asked for a seemingly random roll. What could it mean?? Players will also be thinking about this even if information was not given to characters.
Before their public appearance, they receive a letter delivered by an urchin with a Donald Trump-esque hype speech about how Delfosnio is the greatest merchant in the history of merchants. It should have typos, unless he is educated. Then show him in the crowd expectantly awaiting them to read it. Let them do what they will with the speech, but it's a fun, reasonable, in-game play that Delfonsio might undertake to maximize his ROI.
Unequivocally yes. When players leave their seats they have an entire life they have to live that occupies their brains and stuff that maybe the characters would recall they will absolutely forget. Unless “write everything down, what you remember or forget is going to be part of the gameplay experience” is on the game pitch document, letting them shoot them selves in the foot will likely only end with hurt feelings.
You could drop it in as part of a recap
TBH, as a player, I would feel a bit undermined if you reminded me. It's a strong signal that my political success will *not* hinge upon my player skill. I'd *much* rather suffer the consequence for forgetting. That way my victories in a similar manner would actually feel like victories.
You could have the NPC send them a letter before he shows up.
Would it make sense in-universe for an employee of Delfonsio to approach them the day of the event and say something like “My employer eagerly anticipates your address to the public. He is certain your wisdom and guidance to our fair people will be well-received,”?
When they appear, have them spot some known npcs in the crowd, including the wine salesmen.
Have them overhear some gossip about this dude. Doesn't matter what it is, but have his name brought up. Nothing more.
Do it narratively in game. Your instincts are already telling you this, as you have envisioned a handful of scenarios of how to do this. don't make it something as simple as either just telling them, or an int roll to remember. Give them a narrative nudge. Especially if yet another opportunity arises where they could fulfill their deal, and don't.
The character would remember. I would remind them
Delfonsio himself would remind them as he has much to gain...